Taxonomies — Formal and Informal

  We were working with a client recently who wanted to incorporate their existing taxonomies into their newly forming enterprise ontology. It was, as they say, a “teachable moment.” Not all taxonomies are created equal. At least not with regard to...

How can I ensure that an ontology is complete?

This is a question of scope. An ontology is complete if it has all the concepts and axioms that are needed. Needed for what? This depends on the intended purpose of the ontology. If you have a local, one-time need to integrate a small number of databases, then you...

How can I ensure that an ontology is elegant?

This is related both to scope and to design. An ontology is elegant if it has the fewest possible concepts to cover the required scope with minimal redundancy and complexity. Whereas completeness is about making sure enough is in the ontology, elegance is about making...